The present invention concerns more precisely a containment system for recovering a hydrocarbon fluid from a leaking device that is situated at the seafloor and that is leaking the hydrocarbon fluid from a well.
Recovering oil that is leaking from an under water oil device is a great problem, especially for oil device that are installed at deep sea floor.
The explosion on the “Deepwater Horizon” platform in the Gulf of Mexico demonstrated how much such a containment system is difficult to control.
One of the main problems was the formation of hydrates that clogged the used containment system.
For example, at a depth of around 1500 meters, the sea water is cold (for example around only 5° C.) and at a high pressure. These environmental conditions may transform the sea water and hydrocarbon fluid into hydrates having a quasi-solid phase and which can fill and clog any cavity.
Hydrate inhibitors like methanol could be injected to avoid hydrate formation. But, the needed quantity of such chemical is huge and inhibitors are also pollution for the environment.